Born as Helena Pare Lydia Turner. In or shortly after 1894 married Joseph Mott, a sculptor, ceramicist and collector of ceramics who was Art Director with the Doulton factory. He is probably the artist behind this portrait medallion.
She was a politically-aware woman who kept a diary and was concerned for preserving history for future generations. 1939 - September 1946 she lived with her sister in Teddington. Lived at the house with the plaque from 1946 until her death in 1951, the year after her husband's. She is described as a poet and a writer for children but we can find no access to any of her writings online.
Their daughter, Helena Mott (1900-97) gave some of her father's collection to the British Museum.
All below is more detail and the evidence of our researches:
An refers to the plaque and there we learn that her name was Helena Paré Lydia Mott (note the accent) and that she had lived at 115 Maze Hill, the house with the plaque.
This (dead link 2025) shows a medallion for sale on Ebay. The name on this is given as Helena Pare Lydia Turner with the date MDCCCXCIV (1894). A in Kingston (indexed with her name, Helena Pare Lydia Mott, and giving her date of death) shows what looks like the name Felix Percy Turner suggesting they are both in the same grave and therefore closely related. We think that Turner was her maiden name, that Felix was her father, or another relative, and that she married a Mr Mott, after 1894.
provides the birth year and that she died in Greenwich with the name Mott. That birth year makes her 21 at the date on the medal which seems about the right age for the sitter. A portrait medal would surely have been quite expensive to create and we have no idea what the purpose of the medal was, but see our last paragraph below.
At the we learn that she was a politically-aware woman who kept a diary and was concerned for preserving history for future generations. 1939 - September 1946 she lived with her sister in Teddington; October 1946 - 1951 at Greenwich.
We found a pdf at . Following a local walk Bess Dzielski researched Mott and found information in the Transactions of the Greenwich and Lewisham Antiquarian Society, 1983, where her birth year is given as 1872 and she is described as a poet and writer, including stories for children.
We have found reference to a Miss Helena Mott (1900-97) which would be the right dates for her to be our Helena's daughter. This younger woman was primarily a collector of children’s toys. She inherited Chinese and Japanese porcelain from her father Joseph (1880-1950, ceramicist/glass worker/potter) who had been employed as art director at the English porcelain manufacturers, Doultons, from 1897 to 1935; when he retired, and as consultant until his death in 1950. She bequeathed to the British Museum a group of porcelains. Also, Items from her father’s collection were auctioned by Bonhams: see The Helena Mott Collection of Doulton and Related Items, 22 October 1997. Miss Mott was a tiny immaculately turned-out lady with a delightful interest in her pieces. She enjoyed showing to the curious her beautiful dolls’ houses, which she later bequeathed to the Bristol City Art Gallery, and maintained a lively interest in her toy collection and ceramics right to the end of her long life.
If our guess is correct then our Helena married Joseph, the ceramicist and collector. Which would explain how the family had access to the skills to create such a superior plaque. Possibly Joseph was himself the medallist/sculptor who created the medallion shown on this page.
Sources: , , , ,
After we had published this article in 2026 showing her year of birth as 1873 our colleague, Andrew Behan, advised that Helena Pare Lydia Turner was actually born on 2 June 1872 in Kingston, Surrey (now the Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames), the second of the eight children of Felix Percy Turner (1843-1921) and Helena Turner née Jones (1847-1899). Her birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1872 in the Kingston Registration District, Surrey. She was baptised on 28 July 1872 in All Saints Church, Kingston, where in the baptismal register her family are shown to be living in Market Place, Kingston and that her father was a watchmaker.
Her seven siblings were: Percy Lewis John Turner (1871-1948); Blanch Turner (1874-1928); Edith Louisa Turner (b.1875); Felix George Turner (1878-1918); Arthur Sydney Turner (1882-1952); Dorothy Constance Pare Turner (1885-1978) and Elsie Millicent Victoria Turner (1887-1940).
She was shown as aged 8 years and a scholar in the census that was taken on 3 April 1881. She was living at 31 Victoria Terrace, Kingston, with her parents, three of her siblings: Blanch Turner - a scholar; Edith Louisa Turner - a scholar and Felix George Turner, her maternal aunt Ann B. Jones (b.circa 1839) - a governess, together with a female general servant. Her father was described as a watchmaker finisher.
She was still residing at 31 Victoria Terrace, Kingston, when the census was compiled on 3 April 1891. She was recorded as aged 18 years and living with her parents, six of her siblings: Blanch Turner; Edith Louisa Turner; Felix George Turner; Arthur Sydney Turner; Dorothy Constance Pare Turner and Elsie Millicent Victoria Turner, together with her maternal aunt, Ann B. Jones - a school governess. Her father was still described as a watchmaker finisher.
On 28 July 1897 she married Joseph Henry Mott (1868-1952) in St Mark's Church, Surbiton, Surrey, where in the marriage register she is shown as aged 25 years and a spinster living at 31 Victoria Road, Surbiton, the daughter of Felix Percy Turner, a jeweller, whilst her husband was described as aged 30 years, a bachelor and a manager of pottery, residing at 14 Maple Road, Surbiton, the son of William Henry Mott, an ironmonger.
They were to have two children: Helena Kathleen Powis Mott (1900-1997) and Ursula Blanche Powis Mott (1909-1995).
When the census was taken on 31 March 1901 she was listed as aged 28 years and living at Twyneram, Clarence Road, Teddington, Middlesex (now Greater London), with her husband and their daughter, Helena Kathleen Powis Mott, together with a domestic general servant. Her husband was described as a manager of art pottery.
When her husband completed his census return form on 2 April 1911 he showed her as aged 38 years. They were living in a nine roomed property at 50 Clarence Road, Teddington, with their two children: Helena Kathleen Powis Mott and Ursula Blanche Powis Mott, together with a female general domestic servant. He confirmed that his wife had given birth to two children who were both alive and described himself a manager of art pottery. Her sister, Dorothy Constance Pare Turner - who was living on private means, was also recorded as a visitor on the night of the census.
She was shown on the census return form that was completed by her husband on 19 June 1921 as aged 49 years and still residing in the nine roomed property at 50 Clarence Road, Teddington, with her husband and their two daughters, together with a female general domestic servant. He described himself as aged 54 years, 4 months, a manager of art pottery employed by Doulton & Co. Ltd. at 28 High Street, Lambeth, London SE, whilst Helena Kathleen Powis Mott was recorded as aged 20 years, 9 months, an actress employed by Matheson Lang Esq, at the New Theatre, St Martin's Lane, London WC and Ursula Blanche Powis Mott was listed as aged 13 years, 11 months and in whole time education.
Electoral registers from 1919 to 1939 list her at 50 Clarence Road, Teddington and she is shown living there on the England and Wales Register that was compiled on 29 June 1939. The register shows her as on unpaid domestic duties and confirms her date of birth as 2 June 1872, whilst her husband was described as a retired pottery manager. Electoral registers from 1947 list her, her husband and their two daughters at 115 Maze Hill, Greenwich, London.
Her death was registered as aged 78 years in the 1st quarter of 1951 in the Greenwich Registration District, London. Probate records confirm that her address remained as 115 Maze Hill, Greenwich and that she died on 1 February 1951. The states that her body was cremated on 5 February 1951 at Croydon Crematorium, Mitcham Road, Croydon, CR9 3AT. Probate was granted to her daughter Helena Kathleen Powis Mott, a spinster and her effects totalled £2,489-11s-2d.
Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk
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